b) PTERDOLOGIST | Edited by Barry A. Thomas | VOLUME 3 PART 5 Tl ISSN 0266 - 1640 THE BRITISH PTERIDOLOGICAL SOCIETY Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales Officers and Committee from March 2000 President: M.H. Rickard Vice-Presidents: J.H. Bouckley, A.R. Busby Dr N.J. Hards, Dr T.G. Walker, Honorary General Secretary: Miss J.M. Ide, 42 Crown Woods Way, gee sepa E9 2NN Tel./Fax: 020 8850 3218 Membership Secretary: M.S. Porter, 5 West Avenue, sae Cumbria CA7 9LG Tel.: 016973 43086, E-mail: m.porter@ wigton.cablenet.co.uk Treasurer: A.M. Leonard, |! eos bs Portsmouth, Hants. PO! 3 andrew_leonard @totalise.co. 2 Meetings Secretary: PJ. Acock, 13 Star Lane, St Mary Cray, Kent BR5 3LJ Editors of the Fern Gazette: Miss J.M. Camus & J.A. Crabbe artment of Botany, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD E-mail: j.camus @nhm.ac.uk Editor neh the Pteridologis Prof. B A. Thomas elsh en of Rural Studies, University of Wales, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 3AL. Fax: 01970 611264, E-mail: bat @aber.ac.uk Editor of the Bulletin Miss A M. Paul Department 2 as The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD -mail: a.paul@nhm.ac.uk Editor of BPS WWW Site: A.C. Pigott Kersey's Farm, eee Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 SRB : anthony.pigott @btinternet.com Committee: R.G. otal L. Kirkham, Dr S. Martinelli, R.N. Timm, Prof. A.C. Wardlaw, B. Wright Conservation Officer/Recorder: RJ. Cooke, 15 Conduit Road, Stamford, Lincs. PE9 1QQ Spore Exchange Organisers: Mr & Mrs B. Wright 130 Prince Rupert Drive, Tockwith, York YOS 8PU Plant Exchange Organisers: Mr & Mrs R.J. Smith 184 Solihull Road, Shirley, Solihull, Warwicks. B90 3LG Booksales Organiser: SJ. Munyard, 234 Harold Road, Hastings, East Sussex TN35 5NG Merchandise Organiser: Mrs L.I. Craddock, 40 Russell Drive, Ampthill, Beds. MK45 2TX Trustees of Greenfield and Centenary Funds: M.H. Rickard, Miss J.M. Ide, A M. Leonard The BRITISH PTERIDOLOGICAL SOCIETY was founded in 1891 and today continues as a focus fern enthusiasts. It provides a wide range of information about ferns through the medium of its ie and other literature. It also organises formal talks, informal discussions, field meetings, aes visits, plant exchanges, a spore enh scheme and fern book sales. The Society has a wide membership which includes gardeners, nurserymen and botanists, both amateur and professional. The Society's journals, the Fern Gazette, Preridbbogis and Bulletin are published annually. The Fern Gazette publishes matter chiefly of specialist interest on international pteridology, the Pteridologist topics of more general appeal, and the Bulletin, Society business and meetings reports. www site: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/bps/ Membership i Hi lin fe d fern-allies. SUBSCRIPTION RATES (due on Ist January each year) are Full Personal Members £15, Personal Members not receiving the Fern Gazette £12, Student Members £9, Subscribing Institutions £25. Family membership in any category is an additional £2. Applications for membership should be sent to the Membership Secretary (address above) from whom e er details can ~ a (Remittances meee 3 in currencies other than Sterling are £5 extra to cover for all journals is an — eee or bad mee not receiving the Fern Gazette £2.50. Standing Piso forms ‘ae available from the \ Front cover: Hymenophyllum Tunbridgense as illustrated in J.E. Sowerby’s The Ferns of Great Britain Back numbers of the Fern Gazette, Pteridologist and Bulletin are ere ie eee malt PJ. Acock,13 Star Lane, St Mary Cray, Kent BR5 3LJ, from whom further Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) Migcn 05 BEST OF THE WEST OU, Excerpts from a lecture for the BPS at Coventry, July 1999 iy] Sue Olsen, 2003 128th Ave.S.E., Bellevue, WA 98005, USA “ADE Welcome to the U.S. Pacific Northwest where ferns find an accommodating climate remarkably ERap y similar to Britain’s with summers and winters tempered from the extremes of heat and cold by ocean currents and with most seasons offering a healthy supply of moisture. (“The Pacific Northwest is fern country”... Sunset magazine, March sb As in Akio enthusiasm for gardening is keen with many areas of common i - perennials, roses, alpines, trhododendrons and of course ferns, all poenrene ri i a devoted gardeners, horticulturists and botan Geographically the iad area described ranges from tree fern amenable ocean northern California with a climate comparable to Cornwall, Devon and coastal Scotland, ore through Oregon, Washington and British premaniens ore close io! some 2000 m iles - a few round trips London- Edinburgh here! As 0 = weather ingly cooler until it takes an artificial life support system to maintain a tree fern. The majority of our native ferns grow in the maritime area west of the Cascade mountain range under a canopy of stately conifers, primarily Pseudotsuga menziesii, more affectionately known as the Doug Fir, but also in the shade of hemlock, spruce, cedar and in California, of course, the redwoods. Meanwhile alders, maples and willows compete for light and space in the understory layer while smaller ornamental shrubs, among them gaultherias, vacciniums, owering currants and mahonias, line the highways and woodlands. Sadly, imported scotch broom and blackberries are also ve uch at home. Finally we get down to the ferns and a fine lot they are. Some such as pudne! spicant (fig. 1), Asplenium trichomanes, Athyrium filix- femina and unfortunately Pteridium aquilinum will be familiar sights to the British eye and in time we’ll include a look at them as we survey the pteridological palette of the northwest. Our native ferns are not confined to the coastal corridor. The alpine areas of our mountains and the drier reaches of the eastern slopes offer a completely different complement of pteridoflora including many coveted but ne’er do wells for cultivation. These tend to be much more specific in their combination of climatic and geological demands. Here the montane terrain offers Polystichum lemmonii, (fig. 2), P. lonchitis, P. scopulinum, Aspidotis densa (a serpentine indicator), and Cheilanthes gracillima among others. All are a delight to the watchful eye of the hiking plantsperson, but are not for domestication, short-lived at best. The pellaeas, cheilanthes and other xerics that thrive in the sun soaked rocky sites farther east also are a demanding lot for the sea level gardener although arguably somewhat easier given a properly drained site with protection from the prevailing winter wet. We’ve had good success with whiskey barrel plantings that are given a southern, sunny exposure and are permanently protected from precipitation by the eaves of the house. These are indeed a collection of interesting and admired species and probably more so because of an innate urge to succeed with e impossible. The focus of this article, however, will be on the ferns that the traveler can recognize and the gardener can introduce with confidence to the woodland fernery - those of the moisture laden western slopes Encouraged by a benevolent mixture of moisture and acid soil, Polystichum munitum (fig. 1), the sword fern of the west is our most ubiquitous native. While frequently passed over as being too common, it is really quite a handsome once pinnate evergreen and totally tia of oe weather whims. It will be seen sweeping down hillsides and gracing undeveloped area s usually about three feet at maturity. Rain forest conditions swell this to five or even six ot i is attractive for naturalizing or framing the woodland garden and is one of the few ferns that isn’t flattened by our occasional snowstorm. Polystichum andersonii (fig. 3), Anderson’s holly fern, by contrast is far from common and quite distinguished. Similar in size and empantest to “i munitum, ™ — in having pinnae that are more deeply notched and fronds tipped with 1. The emerging fronds are cloaked in red silvery ornamental scales that enhance the ornamental value of this evergreen specie 106 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) nother near relative, Polystichum braunii, Braun’s holly fern, decorates its spring foliage with silver as well. Those scales will fade to rust, but remain ornamental throughout the season. The fronds are quite lustrous and dressed to the ground with pinnae. It can be a somewhat touchy evergreen, but once established is a vibrant and elegant three-foot specimen. echnums have always been among my favorite ferns and the blame rests with B. spicant, our deer fern. I associate it with refreshing woodland hikes, springtime wildflowers, serene mossy haunts and if you would - skunk cabbage! It demands acid soil and flourishes on the humusy woodland duff in the Quinault rain forest in Washington State’s Olympic National Park. This is the only place where I’ve seen prothalli in the wild. It’s here that the resident Roosevelt . elk prefer to dine on P. munitum giving Blechnum the opportunity to dominate the forest floor flora. Woodwardia fimbriata (fig. 4), a lusty cousin of Blechnum, grows sparingly in Washington, better in the redwoods of Southern Oregon and best of all in Redwoods National Park in California. Here in the company of towering trees, the giant chain fern towers in its own right to nine feet near the sea or a more modest six feet father inland. It is a coarse fern but highly desired for its stately pin in a protected landscape. thyrium filix-femina var. cyclosorum, the so-called lady fern, can also willingly reach six feet in a damp shady habitat. vlaliisiienby: for us it can also be quite weedy and seedy frequently arriving in the garden as an uninvited guest (a ‘cute’ little sporeling in a choice planting). There are so many other ornamental options that it is not a local favorite. Unlike its British brethren ours are not inclined to sport so most cultivars (from Mother Nature’s baroque period) are imported. Our two Polypodies grow mainly as epiphytes. = — (fig. 5), the licorice fern, is by far the most common. Its tree of choice is the native large leafed maple, Acer macrophyllum where it shows off especially well when tree is pital in the winter. It also looks well in the fall when surrounded by the platter sized yellow leaves. It’s not always perched on a tree, however, I’ve seen great stands of it on bleak coastal wind swept sand dunes and on road cuts through glacial rubble. Perhaps a lack of nutritive material is the common link. American Indians used the rhizome for licorice flavoring hence the common name. (Don’t expect candy!) Polypodium scouleri (fig. 6) grows exclusively in close proximity to the Pacific ean looking like a giant eagle’s nest in the crotches of spruce trees (dead or alive). It is quite distinct with succulent leathery one-foot fronds and prominent patches of yellow spores decorating the fern’s underside. The natural setting is almost cave-like in its darkness. In the garden it will do well in loose loamy soil in deep shade - without the help of a spruce tree! These een will on rare occasion hybridize - a fact I learned while visiting gardens in German The aiden: in our case Adiantum aleuticum (fig. 2), have in my 35 some years experience been the most appealing to the casual gardener - the one who wants a token fern or two. These are the customers who ask, ‘where are the flowers’ or note that ‘all ferns look alike’. However, it is easy to admire the ethereal and delicate tracery of this graceful native. The deciduous two-foot fronds divide in a lax pedate manner (it was formerly classified as A. pedatum) on top of stiff black stipes used by Native-Americans in basket weaving. In the landscape it flourishes in the company of a water feature and in nature it shows up in an incredible assortment of habitats - hinting to me that its classification may yet undergo more revision. Adiantum aleuticum ‘Subpumilum’ is a — imitation of the species and has bounced around the nomenclature loop more than any other snow. i is now considered a lelpad ecotype’ ae the standard range of the species. Ih y times (and I’m talking progeny by the maniacs) aie have never niopeans a single plant that was sa dita etd than a dwarf! By whatever name, it is a to the garden. It is not common in nature and wi was only discovered a eiaenels recent 40 years gossamer triangular skirts amongst the bunchberries and wild rubus, the nymph who shades the Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 107 salamander. With moist roots this deciduous oak fern will spread with restraint in the garden’s umus. It presents its kelly-green soft fronds horizontally atop a blackish stipe rarely topping six inches No discussion of small native northwest ferns would be complete without a look at Asplenium trichomanes var. trichomanes. Here we have the woodland counterpart of a fern incredibly common and handsome in the mortared crevices of ancient and weathered buildings in Britain and on the continent. Ours is a handsome evergreen woodland calcifuge with beadlike pinnae decorating a black stem. It is quite amenable to cultivation, however, it definitely is not common. I hauled our three children over many a back road and trail before finding it in the wild (and then in abundance) on the flanks of Mt. Rainier. SITES FOR FERNS IN THE WILD T.M.C. Taylor in his excellent but now out of print book lists some 125 ferns and fern allies for the Pacific Northwest compared to just over 100 in Britain and Ireland. Of these some 30 can be found in the Perry Creek drainage which has recently been granted Federal Research Natural Area status. The Perry Creek trail is without question the favorite for a fern foray in the state of Washington. The trail originates on a forest service road east of Granite Falls and the Verlot anger Station, and travels gently upward for two miles to a great picnic spot by a waterfall. Most ferns including the elusive Botrychiums, which are gourmet goodies for the local deer, are found in the first mile. Here too alpestrine species such as P. lonchitis drop to an accessible level and the keen observer may find the rare hybrid P. munitum x P. andersonii. The trip to Perry Creek can be combined with a drive through carpets of Lygodium clavatum (fig. 3) up to Coal Creek (right next door) for a photo study of the newly described Cryptogramma cascadensis nestled amongst the boulders. Also nearby, across the highway there’s a popular boardwalk stroll to the Big Four ice caves presenting the explorer with a lowland opportunity to see Peach quelpaertensis (syn. Thelypteris limbosperma, Oreopteris quelpaertensis, eris quelpaertensis, Thelypteris oreopteris, Onin limbosperma, Dryopteris montana a my!) The Olympic Peninsula is a deservedly popular tourist destination and crosses climatic zones from coastal to alpine. Travelers can marvel at the changing moods of the Pacific Ocean while watching shore birds swooping around Polypodium glycyrrhiza festooned sea stacks. Or they can combine an alpine garden pilgrimage, which should include a fern or two, with a visit to Hurricane Ridge with its panaramic view of the dramatic peaks of the snow-covered Olympic mountain range. Yet another opportunity to explore is presented by the temperate rain forest. A venture up the Hoh Valley leads to an old growth forest draped with curtains of Selaginella oregana. Farther south trails traversing habitats from bogs to the misty vicinity of waterfalls around Lake Quinault offer a range of opportunities for viewing lush thickets of ferns. (While there a salmon lunch or dinner at the charming Lake Quinault Lodge won’t hurt the memories eign canyon on the Pacific Ocean at Prairie Creek Redwood State Park in California’s redwood nee is — with cascading colonies of Adiantum aleuticum. The canyon runs half by sheer walls of ferns. The hike down and back from the visitor’s abt gives a redwood’s wisedtaia experience and is not strenuous. A road (not suitable for RV’s etc.) also winds down to the trailhead on the beach. Either way it is an inspirational sight and we’ ve been fortunate enough to see Roosevelt elk grazing on the beach ry time we’ ve visited. It is near Humboldt on Highway 101. Along the way be sure to include a drive along the Avenue of the Giants where the redwoods are magnificent. sSeonomra GARDENS FEATURING FERNS: The m i ction and display of hardy ferns in a public ping in Washington state is the growing weieiee of the Hardy Fern Foundation housed at odendron Species Botanical Garden, a 24 acre reserve at Weyerhaeuser corporate sy HAE in Federal Way. Established in Oregon in 1964 with a mission of conservation, research, acquisition, (the present site was planted in 1974), The Species Foundation is internationally recognized for its 108 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) role in selecting and displaying the finest available specimens of rhododendron species. The garden’s varied terrain with woodland, pond and alpine areas is not exclusively planted with rhodies, however, and is the primary test site for the Hardy Fern Foundation. The HFF is a young (founded in 1989) organization that is testing ferns for hardiness and ornamental value at sites throughout the U.S. and Canada. Following a modest initial planting the fern collection has grown and now includes several hundred plants in over 100 taxa. New plants are added as they are propagated and become available. Fig. 1 Polystichum munitum and Blechnum spicant - Bloedel Reserve. Fig. 2 Polysticum lemmonii and Adiantum aleuticum - Cascade Mountains Washington State. The Kitsap County Bainbridge Island Library may sound like an unlikely site for a fern garden, but this award-winning garden is the newest in the growing list of Hardy Fern Foundation display gardens. HFF board member John van den Meerendonk designed the one- acre garden — an extensive variety of ferns. This is a peaceful garden with a meandering stream and a setting that encourages quiet reflection. The Friends of Libraries U.S.A. recently pita it “the most beautiful, community-centered library garden in the United States” while awarding it first place in the “Grow Together Garden Contest” a contest jointly sponsored with Storey Publishing. Not only is it beautiful but it has successfully increased public awareness of the diversity of the fern world (not all ferns look alike!) The garden can be reached by ferry from Seattle and the trip can be extended with a visit to the nearby Bloedel Reserve for a full day’s excursion. The reserve, open to the public by reservation, is the 150- acre estate garden of a timber baron and garden enthusiast who with his wife created massive primarily of northwest natives. Here Blechnum spicant flourish in the quiet company of assorted mosses and other.native woodland species in what is primarily a tranquil second a ne timbered shade garden. There is a large lake where swans are bred on the property and natural stands of Polystichum munitum, Dryopteris expansa, Polypodium glycyrrhiza and Equisetum surround the setting. There may not be a great variety of ferns but the garden with its grand vistas and mass _— is about as close to a British estate garden as we can come in the Pacific Northwes' Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 109 aa a fo - athe = * Fig. 3 Polystichum andersonii - Garden of Jocelyn Fig. 4 Woodwardia fimbriata - Elandan Gardens Horder . 6 Polypodium scouleri - Garden of > and Harry Olsen Fig. 7 Cheilanthes buchtienii - University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden Fig. 8 Lycopodium clavatum - State of Washington coast. 110 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) Elandan Gardens on the shores of Puget Sound in Gorst (what a name!) WA is a 6-acre masterpiece on what was once a landfill. Creatively designed and maintained by Dan Robinson an internationally recognized master bonsai artist, the garden is a living museum for over 150 of his handsomely gnarled and shapely specimens. These are not your tiny plants in pots, but large scale lovingly tended unique artistic works that are set amongst hand chosen huge (to 8 tons) mossy boulders and blackened snags. Native ferns especially Blechnum spicant, scenic one-hour ferry ride from Seattle and while not a garden to visit for great numbers of ferns, it is to be admired for their presentation. Well removed from the Seattle area, the Botanical Garden at The University of California, Berkeley houses one of my two favorite xeric fern collections (the other being the garden of BPS members, Doreen and Clive Brotherton). There are 500 accessions of ferns and fern allies recorded for the 34-acre property that includes a conservatory for tropicals. The garden is subdivided into numerous specialized garden rooms from California natives to rhododendrons Notholaena, Astrolepis, Pellaea and Argyrochosma nestle in luxury with their roots cooled e sheltering rocks and encouraged by sharp draining sandy soil. Elsewhere in the garden trees ferns are equally at home and all of this is framed with a view of San Francisco. It is very easy to spend at least a day exploring this horticultural treasure. PRIVATE GARDENS: There are so many outstanding private gardens with fern treasures in the Seattle area that it would require another article to adequately describe them individually. Let it be said, however, that Pteridomania is alive and well in the Pacific Northwest where many of us were gently lead into the field and encouraged by the patient coaching of Seattle’s late Neill Hall, the Curator of the American Fern Society’s Spore Exchange for many years. While this sampling has been written with an eye towards the proposed BPS Field Excursion to the Pacific Northwest in 2003, I sincerely hope that any fern lover who passes this way will enjoy our woodland wonderland. Note - for the cyberlinked more detailed information can be found at the following sites: Bloedel Reserve: http://www.bloedelreserve.org Elandan Gardens: http://www.elandangardens.com Hardy Fern Foundation:http://www. bade mE Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park: h ‘park h/parks/html/15101 gd.htm Rhododendron Species Botanical Gardcke http://www. halcyon. com/rsf/ University of California Berkeley Botanical Garden: http://www.mip.berkeley.edu/garden/ REFERENCES Flora of North ———— Editorial Committee. 1993. Flora of North America North s Mexico, Volume 2, Pt phytes and Gymnosperms. Oxford University Press. New Frye, T. C. 1934. Ferns of the Northwest. Binfords & Mort. Portland, OR. Runes A. R. 1976. Perry Creek, Washington, a Fern-watcher’s Eldorado. American tm Journal Volume 66, Number 2. Mick J. T. 1979. how to know the ferns and fern allies. William C. Brown Co., Dubuque, Page, a je The Ferns of Britain and Ireland. Cambridge University Press. London. Taylor, T. M. C. 1970. Pacific Northwest Ferns and Their Allies. University of Toronto Press, anada. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 111 HUMAN HEALTH RISKS FROM SPORES? - A REVIEW P.H.Hainsworth, Station House, Achnashellach, Strathcarron, Ross-shire [V54 8YU The authors of this article in the Fern Gazette 1999, (Vol.15, part 8, pp.275-287), were exceedingly industrious to dig out some 60 references to this subject. A few were concerned with effects on humans directly, but mostly with experimental work on laboratory animals on simply on the extraction of possible damaging materials from ferns (which do not differ in this respect from other garden plants and vegetables) I have not so far found any allergic reaction to ferns or fern spores myself but having much first-hand experience of the incredible potency of allergens in Himalayan Primulas and a few other plants, this is something well-worth looking out for (itchy fingers). I recommend the use of plastic or rubber gloves for handling plants so identified The article worries me not a little for its possible flees on the spore exchange and for fern popularity generally. It is also the sort of thing that the media exploit for their own ends, Skimming through the article for its salient points could well make some people never touch a fern again. But, in fact, the only ea oN work giving useful details quotes mice being force-fed 0.2 gm of bracken spores on 10 occasions. A mouse (at least our highland mice) weighs about 20 gms, which means a pease part of its ade weight in spores was force fed on each occasion. Brought up to a human scale a rather small person of 50 kilos (110 Ibs) would have to be fed a plateful of 500 gm or about 1 Ib of bracken spores at each meal of a plant already known to be poisonous. The marvel is that the mouse survived this treatment at all. I am sure that we wouldn’t. So although these experiments may prove a point it is not a very practical one. When figures of aerial spores are mentioned we start with a negligible few hundred spores near particular fern plants to tens of thousands in sporing bracken stands. This latter is about the same sort of scale as grass pollen and could trigger the same sort of reaction. It has not so far been demonstrated although the writers are looking into it. Living in what is arguably the most fern infested part of Britain I have yet to hear of anyone complaining. For me, the revelation that most stands of bracken do not spore at all was a surprise. I had always thought that the bracken was not yet ripe for sporing and that the pinnule edges had not unrolled, but I confess to having been puzzled at times ar as collecting and packeting spores for the exchange is concerned I shall not be taking any extra precautions. We get enough “contaminants” in our spores as it is so any collectors who raise clouds of spores around their heads while packeting we would rather not know about. NOTEWORTHY FERNS OF THAILAND By T. Boonkerd This CD-ROM (Reviewed in the last Pteridologist (Vol/3 pt 4, p. 104) is now obtainable at a special price for BPS members of US$25 (including postage) from T.Boonkerd , Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10 330, Thailand. The computer resolution oe to run the disc is * 90486 or higher based p.c ¢ Run microsoft windows so 3.1 or higher. * SVGA card and monitor with 640x 480 pixel resolution, 64K colour. * CD-ROM drive (double speed or higher). 112 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) THE FERNERY, DANESBURY PARK, WELWYN, HERTS Patricia Watt, Voluntary Warden, Danesbury Park Local Nature Reserve In a field at Welwyn in Hertfordshire there is a sunken dell, and if you venture into the dell you discover some large blocks of “Sandstone”. It is hard to imagine why the “rocks” are there. The “rocks”, some old laurel bushes and some wrought iron, rabbit proof fencing are sadly all that remains SOF a once well known Victorian Fernery. None of the ferns remain. The site is now owned by Welwyn Hatfield Council and is part of the Danesbury Park, Local Nature Reserve. It was part of the large Danesbury Estate; the fernery being built in the Parkland surrounding the House. Danesbury House was originally built between 1775 and 1776 and was then called St. Johns Lodge. In 1824 William Blake Esq. bought the house and renamed it Danesbury House. The house passed to his son William John Blake in 1852 and he under the guidance of his cui Mr. Anthony Parsons greatly extended the gardens. One of the new features was the fernery built in an existing chalk pit, a short walk across parkland from the house. Mr Parsons wrote in The Gardeners Chronicle, “I have had to make a hardy fernery, which now contains a magnificent collection of British Ferns, and is well known to many admirers of these truly lovely plants.” Mr Parsons was well known for raising and developing new varieties of plants. Whilst at Danesbury one finely-crested dwarf golden fern of his origination was named in his honour Gymnogramma chrysophylla parsonii. the fernery was built in 1859-60 because the “rocks”, which look just like sandstone, are in fact artificial and were ordered from J.R. Pulham and Co. London, in those years. It was necessary to use artificial rocks, as there was no local source of rock in Hertfordshire. The order was for “Cave, Dropping Well, and Pass, all made in an old chalk pit, for growth of Ferns and other rock-plants.” The rocks appear to be made using a core of brick — rubble, which was covered in cement. Having weathered they now look very realistic and llent substitute for the real thing and of lly friendly! Another = ecaeaihl of “Pulhamite” can be seen at Folkestone, in the cliff sia caves, sapetee and zig- pe path constructed by Mr. Pulham so people could get from the Leas nother problem they encountered was getting a supply of water. priete the Sawing ae describe the fernery as having a plentiful supply of water, there was no natural water at the site. There was no spring or stream! We presume it came down from the house. There were huge water tanks at the house and it is recorded that “There was a horse which pumped water by goon round and round, working a pump from a well in the back yard.” Ty was often written about in the Gardening magazines. The following are some extracts sarin from the Royal Horticultural Society Magazine, The Garden. (Oct.22, 1881) COUNTRY SEATS AND GARDENS Danesbury Park, Welwyn THE FERNERY. - One of the chief features of interest in the park is the hardy Fernery. It is formed on a sloping bank in a rather deep dell-like valley, overhung with trees and ivy, in the shade of which the ferns seem to delight. This charming spot has been further enhanced in appearance by some rockwork, in many respects decidedly the leading feature of Danesbury. As regards the planting, the various snes are TAREE in distinct and well-defined groups, and each group is assigned a position ided with soil erent to its requirements; therefore, all have an equal chance of becoming well developed. “Ah,” ome one, “but these Ferns are indigenous, and therefore do not require any cultural care; ety stick them in the ground, give them one heavy watering, and then let them take care of themselves. “Yes; that is how many hardy plants are treated; but not at Danesbury. It should be remembered that the conditions under which such plants are placed are more or less artificial. Ferns in their natural state have, as a rule, both soil and locality exactly suited to their requirements; further more, the soil is yearly enriched by the decaying foliage of surrounding trees, which foliage, moreover, forms an invaluable protection to them in winter; therefore, in order to ensure the best results in hardy Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 113 Fern culture as well as in that of other hardy plants when under cultivation, care must be bestowed on them, and that is what is being done at Danesbury. In arranging a Fernery, study thoroughly beforehand the habits and requirements di all the species, and allot each such a position as is most likely to produce the best results. A the most sheltered, moist spot is given to such plants as the various varieties of the evergreen Blechnums, which delight in a close, damp atmosphere, and the tender forms of Asplenium. Osmunda regalis, which thrives ssi oa is allotted a somewhat low, swampy position, which is, however, free from stagnant e. The soil used for these Royal Ferns is a mixture of good loam and fibrous peat. The better sony kinds of Polypodium, such as P. phegopteris and P. dryopteris, are also afforded sheltered positions, and in quiet nooks may be found charming groups of such things as Allosorus oe sig — Fern, and Cystopteris fragilis, a hed delicate and graceful ern. The noble Lastrea filix-mas and its varieties occupy the bolder and more exposed positions in company with pe colonies of the evergreen kinds, comprising some unique varieties of the Polystichums, Scolopendriums, Polypodiums, &c. A plentiful supply of water is available for use when requisite in the fernery at Danesbury, and by means of a hose attached to a hydrant abundant soakings of water can be given during long continued drought - a matter of much importance as regards the welfare of the plants, a contingency that should, where practicable, be always provided for, seeing that moisture is an essential element as regards the wellbeing of all Ferns. H. Bailey Another extract from about the same date:- GARDEN MEMORANDA DANESBURY, NEAR WELWYN, HERTS, THE SEAT OF W. BLAKE, ESQ. - “In the park is a hardy Fernery, situated in a dell, and reached by means of a good gravel walk. It is associated with some large trees, which are surrounded by Laurels, &c., which aid in keeping the rougher winds away from the more tender kinds of Ferns, and the whole is inclosed by substantial rabbit-proof fencing. Entering under an archway, formed of grotesque-looking wood, we proceed a few yards, and an interesting scene presents itself, the imitation rockwork being in itself worthy of a visit. Here are steps to descend to the level below, formed, as it were, out of hard rock by time itself. On the opposite side is a ravine, over which has been thrown a rustic bridge, whilst nearer to the left, under the more massive upper rock - as is customary - is a capacious grotto, from the rock at the side of which streamlets of pure water trickle down into its basin bed. Here and there, abutting upon the green sward, the rocks appear, cragged and pointed, each having at its base, or upon its bosom, some quaint form which culture, and observation have brought to light. The whole is well backed up by huge boulders, placed here and there, as if they were the work of one of Nature’s strange convulsions. Let us now note a few of the more distinct and noticeable Ferns found here - varieties essential to all having in view the getting together of a collection, however small. Of Athyrium F-f. Victoria there is here a fine example, the primitive divisions in which are very narrow, eI forked at the base, and varying in their structure so much that they are divergent, ossing each other the whole length of the frond, the apices of pinnae and frond being ianats neatly tasselled. A. F.-f. coronatum has short, spreading fronds, much crisped and forked at the end, with huge heavy tasselling. There is here a variety of A.Ff.-f.Elsworthii, having the pinnae very much crested, whilst the extremity or point ts equal to the best A.F.- multipes; of the last there is a fine large specimen with narrow fren: ending in oft- divided spreading crisped tassels. A. F.-f Grantii is a dwarf upright form, f: overlapping each other at and near the points, being divided and eraped. A. F.-f coronans var. nanum has drooping short narrow fronds, the pinnae crested, and the frond ending in a many times divided crest, of large dimensions as compared with the size of this dwarf variety. A. F.-f. grandiceps is dwarf, upright, very densely and heavily crested. amie viride multifidum has here assumed its true habit; a circumstance questioned by so Poltstichum angulare grandiceps is a heart green-leaved variety, with divided rachis, every division being more or less branched again and again, the individual pinnae ending in 114 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) small crests, the terminal points being large crispy tufts. P. a. gracile is a very graceful variety, the pinnules markedly slender near the midrib. P. a. plumosum has a waving pleasing habit : P. a. latipes, a very fine variety, has green fronds, with distant divisions, and sharp-pointed termination : P. a. rotundatum (a very fine specimen) has deep green fronds : P. a. a do- cristatum has branched fronds, and the pinnae and pinnules are slightly crested. Of P. proliferum Wollastoni the best plant here came from Mr. Wollaston’s original specimen. met a. proliferum Footii varies from the preceding only in having smaller fronds and smaller pinnae, but a little wider: this was also obtained from the original plant. Of P. a. Kitsoniae, there is here a fine large plant which has become well established, and consequently is beginning to assume its real habit: it is branched, divided and tasselled. Before leaving this class reference must also be made to the beautiful P. vestitum venustum of New Zealand, which succeeds admirably here. Amongst Lastreas is a fine specimen of the rare F.-m. abbreviata cristata; it is a branch- ~~ and crested variety, of very pleasing appearance ;L. montana curvata has narrow curved S; L. opaca (Japanese) has very dark green foliage go is distinct; L. F--m wind supposed to be too tender for our climate, is quite hardy here; it has short seca eid the pinnae fringed ; L. dilitata ramosa has branched fronds, and is tufted. Of L.Standishii there is here a very fine specimen. Lomaria chilensis is a fine bold Fern with three or four huge fruiting fronds. It is quite hardy. Amongst the endless varieties of Scolopendriums, ramo-marginatum is distinct, upright, and variably divided, each frond being very narrow and generally lengthy, until the ramose part is reached. The fruit, or seed vessels, frequently show themselves upon the upper side of the frond. Of S. cristatum major, the individual fronds are three times divided and freely tasselled. S. subcornutum, a foot across, is sometimes four times divided, as the frond is ascended, horn-like, with projections. There is here a very distinct and beautiful variety of Adiantum pedatum, the pinnae in which are larger and more indented than the pant kind, and undulated ; the rising centre of each frond giving the plant a very pleasing wave . Let us conclude with a passing glance at the aquaintances of our youth-the scaly cal ine Brittle Bladder Fern, Green Spleenwort, and other native Ferns, all of which afford pleasing recollections of days gone by.W.E.” 1 will conclude with the words of W. Robinson in “The English Flower Garden” , published in 1883, writes, “In the home counties there is probably not a better F. ernery than at Danesbury. It is on a sloping bank in a rather deep dell, overhung with trees and Ivy, in the shade of which the Ferns delight.” ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to acknowledge that Ann McDonald, Landscape Architect, Welwyn Hatfield Council, did most of the research on which this article is based. POSTSCRIPT ock I noted that a J. R. Pulham had been instrumental in reviving the Society along with Jimmy Dyce and Percy Greenfield shortly after the last war. He was the owner of Pulham and Son and in The Fern Gazette Vol. 8 p. 203 it is written that his firm was concerned with the building of the Rock Garden at Wiskey. In The Fern Gazette Vol. 7 p. 190 Pulham briefly introduces himself. Although J. R. Pulham had not been a member when he was asked to be our secre tary he hard and brought a talent to bear at a critical time in the Society’s life. I feel we all owe Sia a debt of gratitude. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 15 FROND UNFURLING Martin Rickard, Pear Tree Cottage, Kyre, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire WR15 8RN. I am sure most members will have noticed how some species always seem to produce their new fronds earlier in the spring than others. Is this a ‘species thing’, is it tied up with habitat, plant health, plant age or some other factor? Certainly sometimes different plants of the same species can inexplicably come up at quite different times. This spring I have been around my nursery stock and have noted the following order of unfurling. | would be interested to hear comments of other growers who may agree or may have noticed a quite different sequence. Order of unfurling: First batch - about early March here, depending on season of course: Adiantum davidi, Asia - China. A. venustum, Asia - India etc. Athyrium otophorum, Asia - Japan etc. A. vidalii, Asia - Japan etc. Cystopteris fragilis, Worldwide, including Europe C. fragilis var. sempervirens, Europe - Atlantic Islands, Dennstaedtia appendiculata, Asia - India etc. Dryopteris stewartii, Asia - India etc. Gymnocarpium oyamense, Asia - Japan etc. Osmunda lancea, Asia - Japan etc. Polystichum proliferum, Australasia - Australia. P. polyblepharum, Asia - Japan, P. yunnanse, Asia - China etc. Second batch - late March: Adiantum aleuticum, North America A. aleuticum ‘Japonicum’, Asia - Japan. A. x tracyi, North America. Arachniodes standishii, Asia - Japan. Asplenium flabbelifolium, Australasia - Australia etc. A. trichomanes, Europe. Athyrium filix-femina ‘Frizelliae’, British Isles. Athyrium niponicum ‘Pictum’, Asia - Japan. A. rubripes, Asia - Nepal. Blechnum nudum, Austalasia - Australia. Cyathea australis, Australasia - Australia. Cystopteris diaphana, South-west Europe Central America. C. dickieana, Scotland. C. sudetica, Central Europe. C. tennesseensis, North America. Davallia mariesii, Asia - Japan. Dennstaedtia davalloides, Australasia - Australia. D. wilfordii, Asia - Nepal. D. dickinsii, Asia - Japan etc. D. erythrosora, Asia - Japan etc. D. neorosthornii, Asia - Nepal. D. pseudo-filix-mas, Central America - Mexico. D. pulcherrima, Asia - Nepal. 116 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) D. uniformis, Asia - Japan etc. Gymnocarpium fedtschankianum, Asia - Nepal etc. G. jessoense, Asia, North America. Microsorium diversifolium, Australiasia - Australia. Osmunda cinnamomea, North America O.gracilis, Asia - Japan etc. Phegopteris decursive-pinnata, Asia - Japan etc. aeritees longipinnatum, Asia - Nepal. makinoi, Asia - Japan. Z neolobatum, Asia - Japan etc. P. piceo-paleaceum, Asia - Nepal. P. setiferum ‘Plumosum Bevis’, Europe - British Isles. Thelypteris palustris, Europe - British Isles etc. Woodsia fragilis, Asia - Japan etc. W. gracilis, Asia - Japan etc. These two lists contain a diverse range of ferns but it is interesting that virtually all that flush new growth in mid March are exotic species. Probably it is a daylight effect, ic. they are used to coming into growth at a certain day length, although in mid-March day lengths are the same all over the world. It might, therefore, be temperature, or some other less obvious factor. A few years back, Clive Jermy observed that in the Atlantic Isles many species of fern are evergreen when grown in Britain (see Pteridologist, 1, 4, pp.188-189, 1987). I thought this might be a related phenomenom in some way, but the only species on both my list and Clive’s is Cystopteris fragilis var sempervirens. In fact the species I list are mainly Asian, with a few from Australasia and North America, but surprisingly few from Europe. noeins Pails and the above mentioned var. sempervirens being the most notable exceptions. Considering how many species of Dryopteris I grow, I think it is probably significant that few start growth early in the year. Conversely it is interesting how common early growth is amongst the adiantums and osmundas Of course these observations are based on limited information; often a single plant of a given species or cultivar. It is possible that plant health, plant age and plant situation could all be greater factors than the fern type. It is also inevitable that there is a bias in my list, since I have tended to collect the ferns I like. I have also benefited from Christopher Fraser-Jenkins collections over very many years and these have been primarily from Nepal and the surrounding untries. Any comments on these lists are most welcome. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 117 FERN COLLECTING IN S.TOME (GULF OF GUINEA) Centro de Botanica, 11CT, Trav. Conde da Ribeira 9, 1300 Lisbon, Portugal The African island of S.Tomé (Democratic Republic of $.Tomé & Principe) is situated in the Gulf of Guinea (Fig. 1). It is a small island, about 47 km long by 27 km across (Fig. 2), with an equatorial climate and an average annual rainfall ranging from less than 1000 mm in the north to over 7000 mm in the south-west. There are two main seasons, the dry season, from June to AEN and the rainy season from October to May, interrupted b peri in December. - spite sae its many natural attractions, the island has not bee y mass tourism. It has been noted that S.Tomé is pri in the African continent, ah to its high pteridophyte diversity, both in number of species and quantity of individuals. In fact there are 138 one of Bene st in and, of which 8 are endemic. These taxa are mainl distributed in the mountain forests. sebet there are raid Figure 1. The Gulf of Guinea. many that can be found at lower altitudes, in secondary forests or plantations. During the 19th century most of the lowland area below 800m altitude was cleared for the plantation of cocoa. At that time S.Tomé was the main cocoa producer in the world. Today cocoa production has decreased but the island is still divided into plantations (‘rogas'). After the country's independence, in 1975, some have been abandoned and reverted to ence ners forest. pont areas of the island have remained unspoiled due to their difficult ace ing under-explored areas of the island requires a considerable amount ag? hiking mostly ae eithias conditions. However, there are many areas with easy access that offer many attractions for the fern enthusiast I visited the island as on of a botanical expedition in July 1999. Although the purpose of this expedition was the study of a group of flowering plants, I had the chance to visit areas where pteridophytes are abundant, collect specimens and study them later. Figure 2. Map of S.Tomé showing the localities referred in the text. 118 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) The starting point for several forest tracks is Bom Sucesso. This plantation was converted into a research centre funded by the EU project ECOFA ere is a small herbarium and a living collection of orchids, and accommodation for visitors is available. Although Bom Sucesso is only about 15 km from the city of $.Tomé, getting there is not very easy and requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. We followed the ECOFAC vehicle that makes the journey daily, taking the staff to the station in the early morning and bringing them back to the city in the afternoon. After several stops and two burst tyres (both on paved roads!) we finally reached Bom Sucesso, a few hours later than sche The road passes through the town of TSindade and the Roga Monte Café, once the most important plantation in the island. Monte Café is also a historical collecting locality, having been visited by the famous botanical collector F. Welwitsch in 1860. Welwitsch collected many pteridophytes in this area, most of which have not been re-collected there since. A short distance away from this plantation is Roga Nova Moca, where the unpaved track to Bom Sucesso starts. However, before entering this Roga, it is worth stopping and walking along the road towards Sao Nicolau. It is a short and pleasant walk along a road that crosses a beautiful waterfall and where many pteridophytes can be observed. Alongside common ferns such as the African Dryoptens penthen, the ubiquitous Nephrolepis biserrata with fronds up to 2 m long (Fig. 3), Dicranoptens linearis and Diplazium peoiferum. are pees common a Penis like the West rican species Huperzia wameckei, Sel nd Selag nsis. Back on the Nova Moca road, where the 4km-track to oie ‘snap starts, one can see on the left hand side a big jack-fruit tree covered with an amazing display of the African epiphyte Drynaria sp. (Fig. 4). From Bom Sucesso there are footpaths leading to Lagoa Amélia and Pico. The track to Pico takes more than one day to complete and requires some fitness as it involves a fair amount of dimbing. However, it may be rewarding, as some rare pteridophytes can only be observed there. For example, Athynum newtonii is a rare species that occurs in Uganda and Tanzania, and was collected once in the Pico. The two endemic species Grammitis mollen and G. tomensis are also apparently restricted to ei Pico. None of these rare or possibly extinct species has been recorded during this cen casi Mia to Legon ‘Amélia is an easy journey that allows for the observation of many the to Pico. Lagoa Amélia is the crater of an extinct volcano. Iti is covered with iio and cei flooded (hence the name lagoa=lake). The track starts by crossing vegetable fields near Bom Sucesso, and then proceeds along the volcano wall up to the ridge, and down a steep descent towards the crater. Around Lagoa Amélia, in an area of less than 4km’, fifty-five species of pteridophytes have been recorded. Among these are the beautiful tree fern Cyathea manniana, which can be easily epiphytes Asplenium sandersonii and A. dregeanum subsp. brachypterum, and the beautiful endemic A. oe var. . mollen, to cite three of the 11 species of Asplenium that have been recorded in the area , an endemism to the Gulf of Guinea and the rare Preris ptendioides can as be seen on pe track. The actual crater (Fig. 6) is densely covered with decease poate (Fig. 7), a species distributed in Cameroun and Bioko, found on lava grou osmopolitan club-moss Lycopodiella cernua. The West African Asplenium ahees can vt be observed there. Nearly all plant or animal collectors that have travelled to S.Tomé have explored Lagoa Amélia. At present many amateurs and tourists visit this place. This increase in the frequency of visitors may eventually be a problem for the conservation of this fragile habitat. though the visitors tend to aim at trekking to the Pico or Lagoa Amélia, these areas are well collected and relatively well studied and it is unlikely that they will reveal new findings to non-specialist. On the other hand, some areas of much easier access are rarely visited. There, one has the chance of registering new areas of distribution or even re-discovering species that have not been recorded for a long time. An area explored during this expedition is not far from the capital and has relatively easy Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 119 access. After passing the town of Trindade and the Roca Milagrosa, there is a road junction leading to Zampalma on the right and Bombaim on the left. Both ways provide interesting walks, offering the possibility of observing several species of pteridophytes. The road to Bombaim has the bonus of a beautiful waterfall with the rock walls covered with Selaginella mollen (Fig. 8). It is possible to drive along both roads but reaching Zampalma may require some driving skills. During the rainy season the road is offen blocked by fallen trees and may present considerable difficulties. onspicuous along these roads, are several large ferns such as Diplazium proliferum (Fig. 9) and Diplazium arborescens, with fronds up to 2 m long, Dryoptens penthen, and Pteris atrovirens. The endemic tree fern Cyathea welwitschii can also be seen, as well as less common smaller ferns such as Asplenium unilaterale and Trichomanes ngidum. Pneumatoptens venulosa, an endemic to Equatorial Guinea and the islands in the Gulf of Guinea, has also been recorded n this area. A careful search may reveal rare ferns. For example, we re-discovered Bolbitis acrostichoides on the road to Zampalma, a species that had not been recorded in the island since the last centu From Zampalma, with the help of a guide, it is possible to explore forest tracks leading to other plantations. Arthur Exell, an English botanist who wrote the definitive ae to the plants of S.Tomé e Principe, ie explored the track leading to the Roca Macambrara in 1932. He stayed for one month in mbrara, which was then called Vanhulst, nd collected extensively in the surrounding area. pai track leads to the Roca Tras-os-Montes, of which not much is leff to see. Tras-os-Montes was once accessible by car, but now it is nen toa few wall ruins hidden by dense vegetation. Likewise, the beautiful main house of Zampalma no longer exists, but the plantation is still under exploitatio nother lowland area of easy access with interest for observation of pteridophytes is the area 2 Angolares. Taking the scenic coastal road to the south of the island, from the capital, we pass the plantation of Agua Izé and the town of Ribeira Afonso, two localities where the halophytic Acrostichum aureum can be observed. Along the road ae ee is abundant, as well as the palaeotropical epiphyte Phymatosorus aa pets (Fig. 10). This species is frequently found growing on walls. The introduced American species feces calomelanos is common on road edges. The road leads to FD a an area where a small African kingdom maintained its independence well into the 19th century. It was apparently founded by the slaves that survived the sinking of a ship off the coast of the island. In this area we can still find rare lowland pteridophytes. Since Angolares was only colonised by Europeans at a later date it is possible that its vegetation was less affected by human settlement Before reaching the town of Sao Joao dos Angolares, there is a right turn leading to Roga Sao Joao. In this plantation there is a cultural centre that is worth visiting. From there a bumpy, muddy road leads to Morro Gentio, a small mount on the leff (385 m of altitude). On the right hand side is Pico Maria Fernandes (861 m. alt.) an under-collected area which needs to be explored _ 11). Peaks such as this are a common sight in the islan At Gentio, several species of lowland pteridophytes can ee seen. If a tree has ces: to fall, it will be possible to examine epiphytes such as Huperzia sp., the two African species of Viffana, V. guineensis and V. owanensis, and the rare Asplenium banen. The entire- leafed epiphytes Microsonum punctatum and Asplenium africanum (Fig. 12) may also be seen in this area. We also found Pyrrosia lanceolata (Fig. 13) in this place. It is a locally rare palaeotropical epiphyte recorded only twice in the island. Continuing along the road, the walk will lead to a derelict ag called Vale Carmo. From there, accompanied by a guide, one can continue towards Cru or down the valley of the Rio Angob6, where daca: are plentiful, from the tree- pies peer welwitschii to the tiny Trichomanes erosum growing on rocks. During this expedition we wanted to assess the conservation status of a rare endemic species of Selaginella. S. monodii was described based on a single collection dating from 1956, from a locality named Blublu. It was re-collected at another locality in 1991, in Roga Generosa. These two collections were the only material available for study. It was not known if the species still existed in its type locality, or whether or not it required conservation Blublu is small waterfall situated in the middle of cultivated fields, off ac 5 fied road, a 120 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) Fig. 4. Drynaria sp. on a jack-fruit tree. Fig. 3. Nephrolepis biserrata, a very common species. its : ‘ - Fig. 6. The crater of Lagoa Amélia. Fig. 5. Edge of the crater Lagoa Amélia with Cyathea manniana and the endemic Begonia cratens. , . 7 0 ee } Tay, ty? r; i ae ia, 5 = oe a = re. ea * r ° ey : i o. Ie Fe o . ai Fig. 7. Nephrolepis pumicicola at Lagoa Améia. Fi.g. 8. Waterfall on the road to Bombaim. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 121 Fig. 9. Diplazium proliferum. Fig. 10. Phymatosorus scolopendria, a common epiphyte. oe ‘ig. 11. Pico Maria Fernandes, seen from Morro Gentio Fig. 12. Asplenium africanum, by the river 16 Grande. Fig. 13. Pyrrosia lanceolata, epiphyte on a fallen tree 14. Blublu, the waterfall. Fig. 15. The path along the water-channel, with a Fig. tunnel on the right. 122 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) short distance away from the capital. After crossing cocoa plantations and being attacked by nasty tiny ants (an introduced pest), we reached this nice waterfall (Fig. 14). The offerings at its base seemed to indicate that it is a popular spot for magic practices. We found that the surrounding vegetation was visibly drying out, and the habitat did not seem suitable for plants requiring a lot of humidity. There was no sight of Selaginella. Going round the waterfall to the other margin of the river, we managed to approach the rock walls behind the waterfall but these proved impossible to reach. Although apparently extinct in the area surrounding Blublu, it is possible that S. monodii still exists on these walls, the only place where it could be safe from human interferen The second locality where S. monodii bed been collected is of more difficult access but much more interesting. Going to the north of the island, and along the coast towards west, we crossed cocoa plantations and a stretch of secondary savannah in the driest part of the island, an area where pteridophytes are scarce. Apart from its scenic qualities, this road offers the view of Platycerium stemana growing on plantation shade-trees. After the town of Neves, turning left to Roga Ponta Figo towards the interior of the island, one reaches Generosa. From there one can drive a bit further along the Rio Contador, and then walk along the valley and enjoy spectacular views of steep slopes densely covered with forest. The setting up of a hydroelectric plant in this area during the colonial period, with the construction of a water-channel running along the line of 600 m of altitude, has facilitated access to visitors. The narrow water-channel, originally covered with concrete slabs but many places, provides an easy walking path. At some points it runs through oe tunnels with bat colonies (Fig. 15). To find the water-channel one needs spedfic directions or a local guide. We did not find the way at first, and had to take a strenuous short cut through a very steep taro plantation. Along the water-channel, pteridophytes are plentiful and diverse. Along a track of about 3km we managed to find several rare low-altitude ferns. Two locally rare palaeotropical species of Adiantum, A. mettenii and A. philippense occur in this area, along with the introduced American species A. raddianum. Several species of Asplenium can be seen, some of which have rarely been recorded, such as A. emarginatum and A. Iividum. Pellaea doniana, which had not been recorded in the island since the last century was re-discovered in this locality. We found certain places of the rocky slopes along the water-channel densely covered with scenes Several species of Selaginella that occur in S.Tomé are not distinguishable at naked eye s to collect many samples along the way and study them later. Most of them proved to be the elusive S. monodii. We could conclude that although apparently extinct in its type locality the species thrives in this area where it apparently faces no major threats. SOME USEFUL INFORMATION FOR TRAVELLERS Travelling to S.Tomé is easy but expensive. To get there, one can either fly from Lisbon or from Gabon. The island has all the necessary infrastructures to provide a pleasant stay, with a choice of several hotels and restaurants in the capital. It is a safe place and the people are very friendly. It is advisable to choose the dry season for visiting and arrange for accommodation in advance. There are organised tours of the island, but I think that renting a vehicle is better, to make the most of the visit. However, insurance is not available and there is a risk of running over a child or crashing into one of many reckless drivers. Driving in S.Tomé is a dangerous activity. The visitors should take all precautions regarding malaria prevention, as this disease is particularly dangerous in S.Tome. Apart from this hazard, there are no major health dangers in the island, considering that it is situated in the African tropics. Likewise, walking in the forest is not dangerous... if one does not meet the endemic 'black snake’ whose bite is fatal! ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank the Portuguese FCT, PRAXIS XXI programme, that sponsored this trip, Ana Morgado for producing the maps, and a ned Isabel and Carlos Cruz for their very generous hospitality and Angus Gascoigne (Environmental Information and Technical Services) for showing us sO many senceciine places. This account was written at The Natural History Museum, London, with a grant from EU-TMR programme LSF-BioResource. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 123 HARDWICK HALL EMBROIDERIES Brenda Smith, 184 Solihull Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3LG U.K. Last summer I visited Hardwick Hall, a National Trust property in Derbyshire, which was the home of Elizabeth Shrewsbury(1507-1608), better known as Bess of Hardwick. Bess is well known as being a feisty Elizabethan character, who from quite modest beginnings, by marryi four times increasingly wealthy husbands, became a very powerful lady. As well as all this she en a quite remarkable needlewoman, for Hardwick Hall is now famous for its collection of tapestries and embroideries. The tapestries bought by Bess for Hardwick Hall are grand and magnificent, but the embroideries are on a much smaller scale and many of them worked by Bess, some with Mary Queen of Scots, during her imprisonment at nearby aoe House. e are the ones | found most interesting, particularly when I saw a screen agparar 30 octa se botanical embroideries, including three ferns - Dryopteris filix-mas, Asplenium scolopendrium and Lunaria minor. | hoped to find some mention of these in ene from the Gift Shop but although there was a book with some information about the set of pictures no mention or illustrations of the ferns. My interest was re-awakened later in the year by a most interesting article in the American Fern Journal (Vol.88, No.3) by Richard A.Rauh entitled ‘A Millenium and a Half of Fern Illustrations’. Illustrations 2 and 3 reminded me of the embroideries I had seen and I wondered ave been taken from the same source, ie The Brunfels (1530) Herbarium Vivae Eicones (IIl.2) and Leonhart Fuchs De Historia Stirpium (Fuchs, 1542). nae books according to Mr.Rauh marked the beginning of natural, scientific representation of plan However this proved not to be the case. When I contacted Hardwick Hall : was very kindly sent a copy of an article which had appeared in the National Trust Year Book 1975/76 entitled ‘An Elizabethan Herbarium: Embroideries by Bess of Hardwick after the Woodcuts of Mattioli’ by John Nevinson. In this he says there is no doubt that the woodblock illustrations used came from herbals by Pietro Andrea Mattioli, the botanist who worked for Emperor Rudolph II at ag Two editions seem to be relevant, one published in Venice in 1568 and the Lyons edition of 1572. There is no record that Bess actually owned a copy of either of these, but subjects of the embroideries are listed together with their titles as given in the two editions. It is not certain for what purpose these were originally intended, but it is possible they were meant to be applied to velvet or silk curtains or hangings. However this task was obviously never completed as a passage in a ‘Handbook to Hardwick’ privately printed by the Duke of Devonshire (1790-1858) states that among rags and patches in the Green Bedroom he found thirty medallions, all bearing Lady Shrewsbury’s initials, the plants extremely well designed. 935 just one single octagonal panel with the initials E.S. was hanging in a frame on the back stairs, together with other fragments of embroidery. Enquiries into these led to the discovery in a chest of drawers of thirty octagons, all fresh and stitched onto red baize and these were subsequently mounted by Evelyn Duchess of Devonshire on a specially constructed six- fold screen, and are the ones now on display t Each octagon measures about 14 x 14 aches G4 by 34 cms) and is finely worked in silk and wool on linen canvas, in cross and tent stitch, and each plant is surrounded by a latin inscription but there does not seem to have been any attempt to match the inscription to the picture. The standard of workmanship is high and although identification in some cases is not always too easy the three ferns seem to be well represented. These preserved panels are interesting to both botanists and needleworkers and together with all the other splendid tapestries and embroideries make a visit to Hardwick Hall very worthwhile Many thanks are due to Gillian White, Curator and Collections Manager at Hardwick Hall, and Jennifer Vine, Lindley Library, R.H.S. for their help. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 124 Hardwick Hall embroideries. Provided by National Trust/Robert Thrift. Fig. 1. Dryopteris filix-mas Fig. 2. Phyllitis scolopendrium Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 125 Fig. 3. Male fern (filix-mas) fix bi ESEAN RRR 2 ® a a ~ wT ¢ ~ ed ar Fig. 4. Hartstongue fern (Phillidis) Fig. 5. Moonwort (Lunaria minor) Figs. 3-5 from Mattioli - Venice 1568, provided by the Lindley Library. 126 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) THE CANADIAN FERN SOCIETY Edith Austen Kamermans, Box 95, Southampton, Ontario, Canada NOH 210. The Canadian Fern Society was organised in 1998 and already has one hundred members, mostly in southern Ontario. The Society has organised indoor meetings and field trips and publishes a newsletter Filix for members. The acting President is Tom Thomson, assisted by Brian Cook and others, and together they have given the Canadian Fern Society a remarkable flying start in just two years. Recently the Society organised two public fern display gardens: A hardy fern collection has been placed at James Gardens which is one of three “Formal en” parks in the Toronto Parks System. This is a popular spot and should provide plenty of public exposure to ferns. The second non-hardy collection is in the Centennial Park Conservatory, also in Toronto. Here is an vies — squat with waterfall and small stream. Altogether around 300 ferns from more $ are now on display and the Society hopes to add to this number in the future. In pee to pi public — gardens some space has been obtained in a production greenhouse to grow ferns from spore Grey and Bruce Contes in Ontario were 7 sites chosen for our September 1999 fern we Twenty th th of Owen Sound, and led by Nelson Maher, visited sites of great beauty to view our nat 5 ies including the rare Hart’s Tongue (Asplenium scolopendrium) and the tiny Wall ai spelt ruta-muraria) on its accustomed limestone. The variety of habitats in this area included shaded woodlands, limestone crevices, swamps, rocky outcrops, talus slopes which all had their array of ferns including: Asplenium rhizophyllum, A. trichomanes, A. trichomanes-ramosum, Athyrium filix-femina, Baas dissectum, B. multifidum, B. virginianum, Dryopteris cristata, D. filix-mas, D. goldiana, D. intermedia, Gymnoca phlei — nda clayto Poly ta bch Woodwardia virginian e strong conservation message from both the Society and Nelson Maher meant that only the leader took a few sporeing fronds for propagating purposes. ‘Enjoy all these green things growing But leave them safe in their native haunts.’ All the fern sites visited were in the wild, sometimes on private land with permission, or in the natural areas of parks. The one exception was the fern garden at the Owen Sound home of s Maher. Nelson Maher’s in-depth knowledge of the ferns in Gray and Bruce Counties made the two days exceedingly interesting for everyone. With some 50 different fern species to be found in the general area, Owen Sound may rightly be called the fern capital of Ontario. Also in September 1999, Professor Alistair Wardlaw visited Canada. Alistair Wardlaw w ne time resident of Toronto although he now lives in Glasgow. He gave a talk and ne presentation on “Canadian Ferns in a Scottish Garden” to our meeting at Humber Nurseries. Mem ip of the Fansdiaa Fern Society is C$15.00/year. Interested readers should write to Mr Tom Tia The Canadian Fern Society, c/o Humber Nurseries Ltd., R.R.8, Brampton, Ontario, Canada L6T 3Y7. Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) 127 HYMENOPHYLLUM TUNBRIGENSE IN CORNWALL Rosaline J. Murphy, 'Shang-ri-la', Reskadinnick, Camborne, Cornwall TR14 OBH Hymenophyllum tunbrigense (L.)Sm., the Tunbridge Filmy-fern, is the most frequent of the two ilmy-ferns in Cornwall. Yet, apart from those sites where it is abundant, finding it is difficult. A climb to the top of Rough Tor (SX/18) on Bodmin Moor is rewarded by the sight of sheets of H. tunbrigense growing in a semi-cave against a rock surface streaming and oozing with water. A visit to the Cheesewring (SX27) on the same moor produces a different story. Here, the growth of the fern follows a flush site down the side of the hill and the fern has to be searched for amongst and at the base of the granite clitter that strews it. In Kennall Vale, near Ponsanooth (SW73), almost the only ae -day site in West Cornwall, the plant is abundant. This is the valley where, in his teens, F. Hamilton Davey worked in the Dynamite Mills that were operated by the power of the river, rushing over waterfalls and working the water-wheels before being channelled along leats back into the river further downstream. In this steep-sided, wooded valley, lush with other ferns, high in humidity, the Tunbridge Filmy-fern has been recorded since 1902 (Davey, 1902). It is most luxuriant on the north side, ae in places in dense mass H. tunbrigense grows in other granitic river r-Valleys in Cornwall, as in Draynes Wood (SX26) by the ‘Goliths Falls on the River Fowey. There are many such wooded, river-valley sites in the county that would seem to be suitable for the fern, yet it is absent. This applies to a particular stream valley, with its tributary of the River Camel set with many granite boulders, below the Devil's Jump (SX17). However, if one can face a long walk over Pendrift Downs from Blisland (SX17), one may come across a small, rather hidden, steep-sided valley where a stream rushes down into the de Lank river. Here, nearly every boulder has its curtain of filmy- fern and the boles of a number of the surrounding oaks are covered with its fronds. most amazing find was made almost in the middle of china-clay country. China-clay waste is not a good habitat for ferns, nevertheless it was felt right to search such an area, especially as there was an old record for Tunbridge Filmy-fern from the Gover Valley below the waste tips. It did not prove easy to find. The river was extraordinarily deep in places, overhung by fallen trees and strewn with many huge granite boulders, yet the fern was surviving here, growing both over the surface of the wet granite and on the twisted roots of trees that dipped into the water. It is the only site for H. tunbrigense so far refound in this particular grid square, SW95 (Fig.1). Richards and Evans (1972) reported that H. tunbrigense grows on various kinds of rock, usually acidic, such as sandstone, granite and quartzite, the major consideration being, not the type of rock, but that it is 'fairly hard’ and can ‘remain moist for long periods’. In Cornwall the rock is usually granite, but the plant can also be found on other rock surfaces. In Peter's Wood (SX19), inland from Boscastle, the wet rocks are of Carboniferous shales, while in the West Looe valley, both in Kilminorth Wood and near Sowden's Bridge (SX25), they are of Devonian slates and grits. Davey (1909) notes the presence of the fern in Hustyn Wood near Burlawn to the south of Wadebridge (SW96 and SX06). An extensive wood, it seemed wisest to follow the course of the stream and its tributaries in the hope of refinding the plant. It was still there, though in relatively small quantity: two large patches on wet, moss- -covered boulders of Staddon Grit, one small amount on another boulder and a few plants on a root stump that overhung the water. There are other instances like this where H.tunbrigense ray still be found at old localities, but in rather reduced quantity. L J. Margetts (Margetts & David, 1981) was convinced that the fern was still present on a granite tor (Carn Brea, SW64) near his home. John Ralfs had seen it here in 1879 and noted that it had been recorded as 'still there in 1884’ by S. Cara (Ralfs, 1878- 1879). Walking the tor from end to end, Len Margetts searched among and between the granites, using a pointed stick and eventually pulled up, just one frond! He made his find in 1962, but subsequently, there have been a few years of very low rainfall with fires sweeping over the Carn and these have probably not been conducive to the ferns survival. The line of the flush site along which the fern grew has been successfully identified, but as yet no trace of the fern has been found. 128 Pteridologist 3,5 (2000) [| | zg et ia ae. Et ¥ ich, (b) 1978 ‘a af i chi ie} O a : Ht pl COMM ALL Coa ytaolonot tet 1 & 4 vel (e)(@) O pre 1930| | | 4 QO ve2| | O pre 1950 vez] | I OO a O a @ 1930— 7 Siruboumains 4 @ i950— enn Le i a a ee a Pies, CMe | * A Gee pease ee Bits gen ees Side eee 4 DISTRIBUTION ON A HECTAD BASIS: ERER RR eee ee (a) Perring & Walters (1962) = = ts b) J t al. (1978 a (c) 1990 chy, (b) Jermy et al. (1978) aie = (c) Present distribution: 1990— WEST COMMALL Tt | | | 4 6 vel : : N O pre 1990 ve2| | I, se i @ 1990— negeiargaras™ 3 ig SS 4 ae Se ee ee ee * ’ al Fs 7 1 \ i Be Fol HeEN 9 (d) DISTRIBUTION ON A TETRAD BASIS es Ks : oO pre 1990 “Ing we ie @1990— 4 Ef [